It is common in the restaurant, catering and particularly the tableware rental industries for large numbers of forks, spoons and knives to be stored, transported, washed and counted frequently in the normal course of business. Storage and transportation of such flatware can be particularly burdensome as the flatware is not easily bundled into a compact transportable configuration.
Prior attempts to solve problems associated with storage and transportation of flatware have resulted primary in flatware chests such as those illustrated in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,366,046 of Naken, 2,505,510 of Vermillion and 2,609,921 of Naken. While flatware chests in general facilitate storage of flatware, they do not tend to solve problems associated with transportation of the stored flatware. In particular, the flatware usually rests in loose stacks within the chest with its stems positioned between spaced blocks or posts. In the event the chest is upended for transportation, the flatware tends to fall out of place within the chest resulting in a disorganized array. Further, such chests tend to have deep base portions with sides which obscure the ends of stacked flatware such that counting the flatware within the chest is difficult.
Accordingly, it is seen that a needs exists for a flatware storage and carrying case in which flatware may be held firmly in place during storage and transportation and easily removed from the case for use when desired. A further need exists, particularly in the flatware rental industry, for a flatware case designed to permit convenient counting of stacked flatware stored therein. It is to the provision of such a case that the present invention is primarily directed.